5 ms·

You don't understand their pricing because you don't understand what they are actually selling. They don't sell musical devices, they sell status symbols. You

You don't understand their pricing because you don't understand what they are actually selling. They don't sell musical devices, they sell status symbols. You buy an OP-1 to look cool, not to actually make music with it. It's a bit like with the iPhone, but on a whole different level. Some buy fancy sneakers, others buy fancy pens and Moleskine, others buy an OP-1. And you can't have a cheap status symbol. This is also why they look so clean and minimalistic, like a MacBook, to the point of sacrificing ergonomy, since the aesthetic is what they are selling, so they can't look gnarly, black and full of ports and cables like an actual musical device.

toiletfuneral 5y ago
oh hell yeah, we're back to the era "no one does REAL work on Macs / iPhones" but now its the OP-1 you seem mad bro
smoldesu 5y ago
I'm fully aware that's why they sell them, and it's why I'm not criticizing them for something they've obviously done quite well.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
devin 5y ago
This is simply not true. I own a lot of synths, and the OP-1 is a very capable (and extremely portable) 4 track studio. I sketch a lot of music on it, and it sees regular use in the studio.
- musicalynejd 5y ago
  Sure. But that's not why most people buy it. Just like most people don't buy a Rolex Submariner because they regularly do deep dives in the ocean.
  - dag11 5y ago
    Dive watches aren't for diving, divers use dive computers. But lots of musicians seem to use OP-1s...
    - musicalynejd 5y ago
      There were no dive computers in 1960. Read up Rolex Submariner history. It actually started as a tool and was used by divers for decades.
  - dmschulman 5y ago
    There will always be a collector class with any category of designer product. Established manufacturers (Nike, Monte Blanc, Omega) are aware of this and directly cater to those customers. I don't think this was TE's intent when they launched their synthesizer. The OP-1 is an incredibly well designed product that stands on its own as an instrument. The device has taken on the life of a status symbol somewhat in 10 years, but is that due to TE or due to the quality of the product? Synthesizers have their own collector class after all, but I don't think you can accuse TE of intentionally catering to those folks when they made the OP-1. People like good design for many reasons. The OP-1 has an undeniable aesthetic quality but it's a versatile and flexible (and portable) instrument under all that.
  - GoofballJones 5y ago
    That's a very bad hole to dig with "most people buy it because" nonsense. Why do YOU care what others buy or don't buy? Were you ever going to get one? Even at $400-$600? It smacks of "I don't want this, therefore NO one should want this...and if they do they are only getting it because blah blah blah". Let people like/use/play what they want and stop judging others for their choices just because they're not YOUR choices. I, btw, don't own anything by Teenage Engineering, but it absolutely doesn't affect my world one iota if someone else does.
    - musicalynejd 5y ago
      It was an observation. I don't care what they buy or not, but can't I comment on what I see? Am I not allowed to observe that most people who buy a Lamborghini are not interested in driving it around a track?
- bsder 5y ago
  You have an uphill battle arguing that this isn't just a status symbol when the photos on the main webpage show Lamborghinis. This is a status symbol. Usefulness is incidental.
dag11 5y ago
> black and full of ports and cables like an actual musical device. Why does an "actual music device" have to be a certain color? I don't follow most of you argument, but especially that.
- musicalynejd 5y ago
  I didn't say they have to be, just that the vast majority are, maybe because they get a lot of usage and black is a good color for hiding dirt, maybe because they stand out less.
  - dag11 5y ago
    You kinda did though. > "they look so clean...sacrificing ergonomy, since the aesthetic is what they are selling, so they can't look gnarly, black...like an actual musical device." You're arguing that because they are a status symbol and have to look "clean and minimalist" they can't look black like an actual music device looks like. Of which I think your main point in that statement is that OP-1 != "actual music device". Did I interpret it incorrectly?
jelling 5y ago
The first time I saw an OP-1 was the MoMa design store. It took me a few minutes to realize that expensive synthesizers are the new unplayed, high-end electric guitars that boomers like to buy.
- tjr225 5y ago
  Sadly, it’s time to sell my beloved Juno 60 as they are starting to sell for upwards of 3000$. Beautiful sounding instrument though.
  - megameter 5y ago
    Modulars and multifunctional devices like the OP-1 or Octatrack seem to be what "the kids" are interested in, if they buy new hardware - there is just more "bang for the buck" when you go with those options. Vintage synths are fun curiosities, but with prices skyrocketing, most everyone turns to the very accurate software reproductions to actually use the sounds. It's a very rapid divergence between collectors and users.
    - tjr225 5y ago
      There are plenty of musicians using classic hardware, not just collectors. Same with guitars. OP-1 and Octatrack provide a different workflow but the classic stuff provides a truly special sound. While the software reproductions of vintage analog synths get you 90% of the way there, musicians want 100% of the sound. If that weren’t the case then you would see prices of classic instruments go down. I am not a pro musician however, I just want to noodle every so often for fun.
      - bzzzt 5y ago
        In my experience the collectors and 'gear junkie' crowd are the people buying the vintage stuff now (and obsessing which of the dozens of 303 clones sounds most like the original) while the pro's just make music with whatever equipment they have and like...
p1necone 5y ago
It's only become a status symbol because it's a really well designed, useful product. I don't think the company has been around enough to fully pivot to actually intentionally just building a status symbol like say Apple or Nike have.

toiletfuneral 5y ago

oh hell yeah, we're back to the era "no one does REAL work on Macs / iPhones" but now its the OP-1 you seem mad bro

smoldesu 5y ago

I'm fully aware that's why they sell them, and it's why I'm not criticizing them for something they've obviously done quite well.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

devin 5y ago

This is simply not true. I own a lot of synths, and the OP-1 is a very capable (and extremely portable) 4 track studio. I sketch a lot of music on it, and it sees regular use in the studio.

musicalynejd 5y ago
Sure. But that's not why most people buy it. Just like most people don't buy a Rolex Submariner because they regularly do deep dives in the ocean.
- dag11 5y ago
  Dive watches aren't for diving, divers use dive computers. But lots of musicians seem to use OP-1s...
  - musicalynejd 5y ago
    There were no dive computers in 1960. Read up Rolex Submariner history. It actually started as a tool and was used by divers for decades.
- dmschulman 5y ago
  There will always be a collector class with any category of designer product. Established manufacturers (Nike, Monte Blanc, Omega) are aware of this and directly cater to those customers. I don't think this was TE's intent when they launched their synthesizer. The OP-1 is an incredibly well designed product that stands on its own as an instrument. The device has taken on the life of a status symbol somewhat in 10 years, but is that due to TE or due to the quality of the product? Synthesizers have their own collector class after all, but I don't think you can accuse TE of intentionally catering to those folks when they made the OP-1. People like good design for many reasons. The OP-1 has an undeniable aesthetic quality but it's a versatile and flexible (and portable) instrument under all that.
- GoofballJones 5y ago
  That's a very bad hole to dig with "most people buy it because" nonsense. Why do YOU care what others buy or don't buy? Were you ever going to get one? Even at $400-$600? It smacks of "I don't want this, therefore NO one should want this...and if they do they are only getting it because blah blah blah". Let people like/use/play what they want and stop judging others for their choices just because they're not YOUR choices. I, btw, don't own anything by Teenage Engineering, but it absolutely doesn't affect my world one iota if someone else does.
  - musicalynejd 5y ago
    It was an observation. I don't care what they buy or not, but can't I comment on what I see? Am I not allowed to observe that most people who buy a Lamborghini are not interested in driving it around a track?
bsder 5y ago
You have an uphill battle arguing that this isn't just a status symbol when the photos on the main webpage show Lamborghinis. This is a status symbol. Usefulness is incidental.

dag11 5y ago

> black and full of ports and cables like an actual musical device. Why does an "actual music device" have to be a certain color? I don't follow most of you argument, but especially that.

musicalynejd 5y ago
I didn't say they have to be, just that the vast majority are, maybe because they get a lot of usage and black is a good color for hiding dirt, maybe because they stand out less.
- dag11 5y ago
  You kinda did though. > "they look so clean...sacrificing ergonomy, since the aesthetic is what they are selling, so they can't look gnarly, black...like an actual musical device." You're arguing that because they are a status symbol and have to look "clean and minimalist" they can't look black like an actual music device looks like. Of which I think your main point in that statement is that OP-1 != "actual music device". Did I interpret it incorrectly?

jelling 5y ago

The first time I saw an OP-1 was the MoMa design store. It took me a few minutes to realize that expensive synthesizers are the new unplayed, high-end electric guitars that boomers like to buy.

tjr225 5y ago
Sadly, it’s time to sell my beloved Juno 60 as they are starting to sell for upwards of 3000$. Beautiful sounding instrument though.
- megameter 5y ago
  Modulars and multifunctional devices like the OP-1 or Octatrack seem to be what "the kids" are interested in, if they buy new hardware - there is just more "bang for the buck" when you go with those options. Vintage synths are fun curiosities, but with prices skyrocketing, most everyone turns to the very accurate software reproductions to actually use the sounds. It's a very rapid divergence between collectors and users.
  - tjr225 5y ago
    There are plenty of musicians using classic hardware, not just collectors. Same with guitars. OP-1 and Octatrack provide a different workflow but the classic stuff provides a truly special sound. While the software reproductions of vintage analog synths get you 90% of the way there, musicians want 100% of the sound. If that weren’t the case then you would see prices of classic instruments go down. I am not a pro musician however, I just want to noodle every so often for fun.
    - bzzzt 5y ago
      In my experience the collectors and 'gear junkie' crowd are the people buying the vintage stuff now (and obsessing which of the dozens of 303 clones sounds most like the original) while the pro's just make music with whatever equipment they have and like...

p1necone 5y ago

It's only become a status symbol because it's a really well designed, useful product. I don't think the company has been around enough to fully pivot to actually intentionally just building a status symbol like say Apple or Nike have.